in my keeping, a
copy of the decrees which Pedro de Brito took to the city of Macan,
and whose contents are as follows:

[_Decrees Taken to Macan_]

Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, knight of the order of Sanctiago, member of
his Majesty's council, and his governor and captain-general of the
Filipinas Islands. At present I am actually practicing and exercising
the said office of governor and captain-general, according to the
commission of his Majesty, which reads as follows:

_Commission of Gomez Perez Dasmarinas as governor; and other decrees
which were taken to Macan_. Don Felipe, by the grace of God, King
of Castilla, Leon, Aragon, the two Sicilies; Jerusalem, Portugal,
Navarra, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Galizia, Mallorcas, Sevilla,
Cerdena, Cordoba, Corcega, Murcia, Jaen, the Algarbes, Algeciras,
Gibraltar, the islands of Canarias, the eastern and western Yndias,
and the islands and mainland of the Ocean Sea; Archduke of Austria;
Duke of Borgona, Bravante, and Milan; Count of Abspurg, Flandes,
Tirol, and Varcelona; Lord of Vizcaya and Molina: Inasmuch as, from
the time when the Filipinas Islands were discovered in the great
Chinese Archipelago, I have always given much care to the supplying of
religious to preach the gospel in those far-away and remote regions,
in order that our Christian religion might be spread in those islands
which our Lord through His mercy chose to call to a true knowledge of
Himself; and in order that a more godly success might be obtained among
the natives of the said islands and others of the same archipelago,
and of other neighboring lands and provinces surrounding the regions
already discovered and pacified; and in order that, through the
mild method of instruction, they might attain the end for which they
were created, I have continually supplied Spaniards to settle those
islands, so that with their presence and defense, religion might be
established and its ministers protected. Moreover, wishing better to
regulate affairs and to render them more stable, I gave orders for
the establishment of the Audiencia and royal chancilleria in the city
of Manila, of the said Filipinas Islands. But now--having heard that
the said Audiencia is a heavy burden to a new and thinly-populated
land; and that besides, having few matters to settle, it incurs heavy
expenses for the maintenance of ministers and officers--I have decided
to order the abolishment of the said Audiencia and the resumption
of the same fo